Spray device



June 22,v 1943. D. P. HUNTER SPRAY DEVICE Filed June 16, 1941 mam. QM h Sm. www

Patented June 22, 1943 SPRAY DEVICE Donald P. Hunter, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Turco Products, Inc.. Los Angeles County, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 16, 1941, Serial No. 398,216

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in spray devices and is a continuation in part of my copendlng application Serial No. 360,022,.led October 7, 1940, now issued as Patent No. 2,295,661, Sept. 15, 1942, entitled Method and apparatus for spraying liquid.

In my said copending applicationA I illustrate and claim a spray device particularly adapted for vehicle washing operations in which, during a part of the operation, a chemical cleaning solution is admixed with the main fluids such as air and water and in which, during other parts of the operation, it is desired to wash or rinse with uid free of the cleaning solution. The device of my said copending application comprises a structure in which the chemical solution is introduced to the main fluid passage of the device by means of suction on an aspirating orifice induced by flow of fluid through the device, lsaid orifice being controlled by a check rvalve seating away from the main fluid passage-that is, seating towards the source of the solution, the check valve being operated by the pressure diierential between the main fluid passage and the solution reservoir.

I have found that in using said device operators frequently open the air line to the spray device at the outset without immediately opening the water line. This induces a vacuum on the aspirating orice which causes the chemical solution to 'be drawn from the reservoir and deposited in concentrated state on the article being washed, such for instance as an automobile, without initial admixture with water, and the undiluted chemical solution thus deposited sometimes spots the article being washed.

It is therefore an object of my present invention to overcome this objection and this I do by substituting for the check valve element shown in the combination of my said copending appli-v cation, an improved check valve having a double seat-that is, a seat both towards the inlet and one towards the outlet end of the chemical solution line and by selecting a ball valve of a weight commensurate with the optimum vacuum on the aspirating orice.

Other objects and accomplishments of my improvements will become obvious from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, for which purposes place the rings.

times becomes wet and slippery and the projection 8 prevents such slippage. An opening 9 on the top of the barrel serves for hanging purposes. Within the handle portion, I provide a longitudinal water passageway I and an air passageway I 6. Passageway I5 communicates tangentially at its discharge end with a passageway I'I extending longitudinally in the barrel, passageway I1 being of a relatively larger diameter than is the diameter of passageway I5.

A plug is screwed into a threaded bore 26 in the body, said plug having a head 21 for the reception of a wrench or tool. Plug 25 has, in register with passageway I6, an annular groove 28 and from the bottom of this groove a reduced passageway 39 communicates with a relatively larger longitudinal central bore 3I which is enlarged at 32, said enlarged portion being internally threaded to receive the inlet end of an air passing tube 33. Tube 33 extends longitudinally and concentrically of passageway I'I and terminates short of the outer end of said passageway to provide an expansion chamber 35. Tube 33 reduces the cross-sectional area of passageway I'I inwardly from the chamber 35. A nozzle tube 40, which is tapered to flare outwardly at its inner end 4I and its outer end 42, is threaded into the discharge end of passageway I1, the inner end 4I terminating short of the discharge end of tube 33 to provide the expansion chamber 35 therebetween. The bore of tube 40 is relatively smaller in diameter than passageway I'I whereby to provide a restricted discharge outlet.

An adapter is threaded at its upper end 5I into threaded opening 52 in the bottom of barrel I, there being threaded into the lower end 54 of the adapter another adapterelement 55 through which a central bore 56 is provided. Av tube 60 is threaded at its top end into bore 56 and extends at its lower end into the solution container 45 and is internally threaded at its bottom end 6I Vto receive an adjusting screw 62 adapted to cover and uncover reduced opening 63 in' the side wall of the tube.

Adapter 59 has a central bore provided through division wall 6l, the upper face of said wall affording a seat around opening 65 for ball valve 16. An externally threaded ring 'I2 lis screwed into the top end of adapter 50 to provide an upper seat 'i5 for ball valve l0. A screen 88 is coniined against the top of ring 'I2 by an upper externally threaded ring 8l. Slots 83, 84, respectively, are provided in the top of rings l2, 8| for reception of a tool to remove and re- A lower screen is confined against the bottom face of wall 61 by ring 81 and the upper end of adapter element 55.

The coni.; er d5 :is mounted under the spray device by the reduced lower end of adapter element 55 extending through a hole in the cover cap 88 of the container, the cover cap being conlined against shoulder 56a by an internally threaded collar 89 screwed onto adapter element 55.

For connecting my spray device with the water and air or other fluid sources, I provide manual control valve members 90, 9|, which may be of any suitable construction, valve member 9B bef I ing connected at its outlet end into the inlet end of passageway I and at its inlet end it is connected to the water supply hose S3 for supplying water under pressure. Valve member 9| is connected at its outlet end into the inlet end of passageway 2l and at its inlet end to the air supply hose 94 for supplying air under pressure. For insuring the proper amount of water feed through valve @3 to provide a predetermined mixture of solution irom container 45, I show a stop member comprised of a bracket 95 having a right angle arm 96 through which there is provided a threaded opening to adjustably receive screw el' against whose outer end Sia valve opn @rating handle 88 abuts when valve Sil is opened to the desired extent. For fully opening valve Sil handle 9S is swung in the opposite direction (counter-clockwise) until the valve is opened fully or to the extent desired.

' The operation of my device is as follows: A supp15,7 of liquid cleaning solution is placed in container 45, which is exposed to atmosphere through opening- E5, and air valve Sl is substane tially fully opened and water valve 96 initially slightly opened. The air under pressure dis charging from the outlet end of tube 33 directly .into the discharge tube 4@ will induce a vacuum on the ball valve ill to lift it from its seat to permit cleaning solution to be drawn in and admixed with the water and air before being nally discharged. In constructing my device, I first determine what vacuum will draw in the chemical solution at the desired rate and then I select ball i6 of a weight suihcient to prevent .it from being drawn against upper seat 'l5 so long as that optimum vacuum is notJ exceeded.

internal diameter of tube 4E! is such that it willfreely pass ail fluid discharged from tube 33 and thus induce sunicient vacuum on ball l) to move it its lower seat and such that if the valve si is fully opened Without water valve 9!! being opened at all, an excess of vacuum will be exerted on ball causing the ball to be moved and held against its upper seat. This prevents the possibility of an operator using the device to deposit undiluted cleaning concentrate on the vehicle. It is therefore preferable toopen water valve 9@ siightly, or until handle 98 abuts stop Sia, simultaneous with the opening of air valve Qi. The resultant introduction of a relatively limited flow of water through passageway l? will correspondingly tax the capacity of outlet 49, reducing the vacuum sufliciently to prevent the ball 10 from being drawn against its upper seat, thus permitting the desired amount of cleaning solution to be drawn in from container d5. When it is desired to rinse the vehicle being washed, without the presence of any cleaning solution, it is only necessary to further open valve Si! to admit a greater volume of water under pressure through passageway il, which greater volume will so taX the capacity of outlet 4i! as to de stroy the vacuum or cause back pressure on ball 70. When such a situation exists, ball Hl will prevent any of the air or water from entering the container 45 by seating against its lower seat.

While in the foregoing I have described specific proportions and associations of parts which I have found desirable for particular uses, I wish it understood that various modifications and adaptations may be made therein within the broader scope and spirit of my invention as delined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A spray device comprising, in combination, a body, a passageway therein for passing fluid under pressure, a restricted outlet disposed concentrically in the discharge end of the passageway, a tube for passing fluid under pressure, said tube being mounted concentrically in the passageway and having its discharge end adjacent the inlet end of the restricted outlet, an aspirating conduit in the body and having its inlet communieating with a iluid supply and its outlet communicating with the passageway at a point inwardly from the restricted outlet, a check valve in the conduit, and means providing seats for said check valve both towards and away from the outlet end of the conduit, said valve being operable by virtue of pressure differential between the respective ends of the conduit.

A spray device comprising, in combination, a body, a passageway therein for passing fluid under pressure, a restricted outlet disposed concentrically inthe discharge end of the passage'- way. a tube for passing fluid under pressure, said tube being mounted concentrically in the passageway and having its discharge end adjacent but spaced inwardly from the restricted outlet, a solution reservoir, an aspirating conduit having itsinlet communicating with said reservoir and its outlet communicating with the passageway at a point spaced inwardly from the discharge end of the tube, a check valve in the conduit, means providing seats for said check valveboth towards and away from the outlet end of the conduit, said valve being operable by virtue of pressure differential as between the respective ends of the conduit, and means for regulating now of fluid through the passageway,

3. A spray device comprising, in combination, a body, a passageway therein for passing u'id under pressure, an aspiratingl conduit in the body communicating at its outlet end with the passageway and its other end with liquid under atmospheric pressure, means for introducing a controlled stream of uid under pressure through said passageway whereby to induce a controlled vacuum on the outlet end of said conduit and a ball valve in the conduit seating towards the passageway, said ball valve being of va weight cor responding to the optimum vacuum desired to be maintained on the outlet end of the conduit whereby to remain unseated by virtue o its own weight until-said vacuum exceeds said optimum.

rl. The combination of claim 1 which includes a valve controlling the inlet end of said passage` wat', a manual operating handle on the valve and an adjustable stop element mounted on the body in position to stop valve opening movement of said handle at a predetermined point.

DONALD P. HUNTER. 

